Monday, July 2nd, was an enjoyable night to be an observer at the gym. Within the past 8 years, I can’t remember a time when I’d heard quite as much chatter. Every single squat rack was filled by two (or more) athletes, along with a multitude of lifting buddies and the usual foam-rolling-Instagram-scrolling-recovery crew.

I tried to consider a time when something like this had happened before, and then it dawned on me: grammar school. Remember when your teacher was out and you felt excited by the unknown routines of your substitute? Or maybe when there was a new, cute boy or girl in class? Back in the day, either of these two events would be sure to create additional noise. The two of them combined resembles a concert.

Last night, both scenarios seemed to play out. Coach Cara taught the 4p (new class) and 5p classes at Lakeview, and we had about 8 new athletes join us – either from Lincoln Square or out of town. And it was funny to notice how the same situations that put people on notice at age 13 can easily do the same at 33.